After all these years Steve Howe is still exploring new territories or, at least, foraging in styles that interest him. Needless to say, this covers a lot of ground, but Steve, along with sons Virgil on keyboards and Dylan on drums, and with Gilad Atzmon on woodwinds and Derrick Taylor on bass, have joined together for a formidable ensemble that are willing to tackle any style that comes their way.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2003 Year Book Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Across The CobblestonePerhaps the most Yes-sounding track on the CD, this gets the project off to a good start. This is one of three vocal songs on this album.

Bee StingHowe runs through a number of effects on this one, but his signature dive-bomb notes are throughout this one. The other musicians fill in competently, but they do little more than provide a background to let Steve flex his chops.

WestwindsSteve goes jazz! A 7-piece horn section, scored by longtime Yes collaborator Andrew Jackman, add punch to this piece that has some nice swing to it.

Where I BelongHowe does his "chicken-pickin'" style of guitar playing on this one, and also uses the dobro and an acoustic guitar (curiously underused on this album) as well.

Whiskey HillThis is a short, 2-minute rocker. Howe uses a dobro to give this one a country-rock feel. There's not much to the melody here, just a good excuse to blow out some jams.

The Chariot of GoldThe opening notes almost sound like the riff to "Messin' with the Kid," especially with the saxophones. Howe's playing on this is very smooth, with arced notes in one spot, simple sixteenth-notes in others.

TremolandoHowe uses a Steinberger 6-string with a Korg tremolo effect on this solo piece. One can almost hear Roy Orbison singing on this one.

Pacific HazeThis is another jazz number. The horn section from Westwinds appears here as well, and Steve stretches into a west coast jazz mode with octave-lead lines, swing, and some fast modal playing.

Load Off My MindThis is a bit of a surprising track. Howe sounds nothing like himself on vocals, and the song is a shuffling rock rhythm with some bluesy feel to it.

Hecla LavaThis is an exploratory piece. Howe runs a Gibson ES175D through a delay effect for a multi-layered feel, but you get the sense that this is an improvisational piece.

Smoke SilverThis song flits back and forth between a high-tempo rock piece and a more shuffling 12-to-the-bar piece.

Inside Out MuseThis song is what you might call minimalist blues: Howe uses the first four bars of the eight-bar blues pattern, but instead of resolving that pattern, he goes back to it again. Dylan Howe starts playing around the beat and pulls off some interesting fills. Gilad Atzmon also gets a clarinet solo as well.

Rising SunAnother go-for-it instrumental, the piece has a 12/8 feel to it, but Dylan Howe plays drums in a straight 4/4 pattern in places. Atzmon's sax solo is up to the call as well.

Sand DevilLike Hecla Lava, Howe runs the trusty Gibson through an effects system to give his guitar an almost church-organ sound at the beginning.

The LongingA guitar-percussion duet here. Howe's guitar sounds a bit like a synthesizer, and Dylan Howe counters with cymbal crescendos and tom-tom fills.

A Drop in the OceanA languid, multi-tracked song where Howe coaxes a rather warm feel out of his Fender Strat.